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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26233966">The Summoner</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beoreon_Berethel/pseuds/Beoreon_Berethel'>Beoreon_Berethel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy X, Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aiden is a Monk using a staff, Allison is an Archer, Boyd is a Lancer, Chris is a Knight, Cora is a Martial Artist, Cora isn't a Hale in this one, Danny is a Priest, Derek is a Feral Brawler, Erica is a White Mage, Ethan is a Monk using chakram, F/F, F/M, He uses Claws and gauntlets, He uses a rod, He uses a spear, He uses daggers, He uses greatswords, He uses swords, He's not very good but he tries, Isaac is a Thief, Jackson is a Shieldbearer in service to Lydia, Kira is a samurai, Liam Theo Corey Mason and Brett are the Aurochs, Lydia is a Black Mage, M/M, Malia is a Blue Mage, Multi, Noah is the High Summoner, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Peter and Chris were Noah's Guardians, Peter and Derek are Blitzball Stars, Peter is a Warrior, Scott is an Alchemist, She uses a whip, She's a Tate, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is Noah, Stiles is a Summoner, They aren't in the party</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:40:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26233966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beoreon_Berethel/pseuds/Beoreon_Berethel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sin. For a thousand years, this massive beast has terrorized the world of Spira, held in check only by the might of the summoners. All follow the precepts of Yevon, praying that one day they will finally be rid of Sin's tyranny. Far to the North, in the isolated peninsula nation of Zanarkand, Derek Hale lives in peace. He's the star of the Zanarkand Abes, adored by the general populace and rich beyond imagining. But behind closed doors, he's miserable. He's constantly living in the shadows of his Uncle Peter who went missing ten years ago. His Mother is gone, dead of a broken heart after the murder of his father. The only one who he can really open up to and depend on is Christopher Argent, a man not of Zanarkand who looks after Derek as a favor to Peter, who Chris insists is alive. But if he's really alive, why hasn't he come back to Zanarkand? Why is he leaving Derek alone with a foreign man who's rarely around? And how will Derek survive when he is ripped away from his home and cast into the strange world of Spira? Who can he really trust? And why is he so drawn to this fledgling Summoner with whiskey eyes and a quirky smile?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aiden/Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Allison Argent/Isaac Lahey/Scott McCall, Chris Argent/Peter Hale, Claudia Stilinski/Sheriff Stilinski, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Ethan/Danny Mahealani, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Malia Tate/Kira Yukimura, Vernon Boyd/Cora Hale/Erica Reyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Attack on Zanarkand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/gifts">HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well, I finally did it. I finally wrote my first work in the fandom. This isn't a proper crossover, it's more the Teen Wolf characters living in the world of Final Fantasy X. This will follow the general story of X, but there will be changes. There will be new locations and I'll do my best to try to flush out the world as best I can. There will also be additional summons not in the game. I still can't understand why they didn't have a water based Aeon when Leviathan already existed, but I digress. Here is what I'm hoping will be my best work to date, I appreciate any and all comments as long as your aren't rude. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated and if I make a mistake with the details, don't be afraid to let me know!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Derek lifted up his head, looking around the campfire at the tired expressions on the faces of his friends and comrades. They were all exhausted, having been travelling for months. The mountain pass had been particularly draining. His brow furrowed with concern. Should he tell them the truth that was revealed to him? Could he? He shook his head free of such thoughts, standing up and brushing off his trousers. His sudden movement drew the attention of the Summoner, worry plain on his face. Derek offered him a gentle smile and a comforting hand on his shoulder. The Summoner closed his eyes, reaching up to hold his hand for a moment, drawing strength from his Guardian. Derek pulled away, walking around the circle of his comrades, climbing up the small hill just behind them. At the top he looked out across the water, squinting through the sunset and the soft light of the Pyreflies. His heart clenched in fear and nervousness at the sight that greeted him: The ruins of the once-great city of Zanarkand. Almost all of it had been completely destroyed, sinking into the sea. He shivered thinking of the sheer power that would have been required to sink nearly the entire peninsula. What little of it remained was barely standing, many of the buildings having half collapsed, others tilting sideways from the damage to the foundations. The only recognizable structure left standing lay across a perilous path of small islands and rubble: the Great Temple. </p><p>He took a deep breath, letting it out with a shudder. He couldn't believe that this was all that was left of his home. Throughout the entire pilgrimage, he had been told that Zanarkand was a ruined city, destroyed by Sin's wrath. But he couldn't help but hold on to hope, despite the warnings. After all, much of it had still been standing when-</p><p>"Damn it, Peter." He muttered. His eyes burned, but he wouldn't cry. He couldn't let himself cry, not when everyone was depending on him. He took another breath, bracing himself. He needed to tell them. Everything that had happened to him, from the beginning. Even if they were there for most of it, they needed to hear it all from him, through his own eyes. He wasn't a huge talker, hadn't been for a long time, so this would probably be harder than he was ready for, but it was time.</p><p>"Everyone." He called out, turning to look out over them. They turned tired eyes up to him, surprised at being addressed. "I want you all to listen to my story." With his usual scowl on his face he hopped down to them, retaking his place next to the Summoner. "This.... may be our last chance." Some of them looked surprised. Others worried. But they were all intrigued, sitting up slightly straighter as he prepared to talk. He settled into place, looking into the fire to gather his thoughts. He took one last deep breath, and began.</p>
<hr/><p>Derek was running late. Normally, he would never dare, but this was a special exception. The Blitzball game was set to start soon, and usually he'd be the first one there, warming up, slipping into his gear, prepping his UNAGI breathing unit for the subaquatic sport. But for this game? He'd skip it altogether if he could, anything to avoid the special memorial game arranged in honor of his Uncle Peter. Out of all the people they had to honor with a game, it had to be him? Oh he understood, alright. His uncle had almost single handedly doubled the popularity of the game in Zanarkand, bringing the Abes out of the shadows of irrelevance to become a team that hadn't lost a match in the ten years his uncle had been on the team. Of course, it had been just as long since his uncle disappeared, but the Abes had remained a crowd favorite. Their popularity had soared again when the rumors spread that Peter's nephew had been recruited, and had only continued to climb in the two years since. </p><p>Derek was uncommonly gifted when it came to Blitzball. He'd never lost, so far at least, and had scored more than any other player in the Western Zanarkand League. He was fast, strong, and had skills that many commentators had described as "so good they should be illegal." He wasn't a prodigy though. He was where he was because he trained harder and longer than anybody else. He prided himself on the amount of effort he put into himself and his craft. And he did it all to prove that natural talent wasn't enough to carry you through life.</p><p>That had been Peter's belief. Peter was a prodigy, surprising people with his skill from the moment he had first picked up a ball. Derek wasn't petty enough to disregard his uncle's skill, much as he might have wanted to. Peter never practiced though, spending his days lazing about in the sun, and the nights blowing his money on cheap booze and cheaper whores. He was constantly partying, schmoozing his way into high society get togethers, cockily setting up sponsorship deals to support his lavish lifestyle. Derek hated it, hated the strangers constantly waltzing about their home in various stages of intoxication, and most of all, he hated Peter. Hated the way Peter belittled him for practicing with his Blitzball, how he taunted him at all hours of the day, drunkenly criticizing his young nephew. There were so many times he was tempted to fight his uncle, if only he had been big enough, been strong enough. </p><p>But that didn't matter anymore. Peter was long dead. Derek had taken his place as the star of the Zanarkand Abes, earning the nickname "The Blitz Ace" from his fans. He had become everything his stupid uncle had been and more, through blood, sweat, and tears. He had carved out a spot for himself with his hard work, and he intended to keep going, to get better and better until his uncle was no longer relevant enough to have an annual memorial game in his honor. With that satisfying thought, he grabbed his phone and his keys, heading out to get to the stadium.</p><p>Of course, when he stepped outside he had to stop. There was a small crowd of his closest fans gathered at the pier that connected to his home. It was a small set-up, really just big enough for one person, built onto a collection of floating platforms that allowed it to sway with the movement of the sea, tethered in place to a round dock that helped to anchor five other similar homes in place. All of his neighbors were older couples who had set up the dock as a sort of private retirement community. He had inherited his home from his mother, who had never used it after her own parents had died, but he decided to move in when she had passed the year before, needing something a little more private outside the city proper to deal with his grief. And while he was no longer mourning her quite so keenly, he had enjoyed the company of his neighbors he had decided to stay, selling his flat downtown.</p><p>He put on a smirk and waved to his fans as he crossed to the pier, revelling in their cheers. He was bombarded with requests for autographs, as if this wasn't the hundredth time they had come to meet him before a game. He obliged of course, signing their pictures and blitzballs, letting them take a few pictures with him. </p><p>"Good luck tonight!" one of the girls said, giggling as he handed her ball back to her, squealing and showing it off to her friend.</p><p>"What seats?" He asked them. For all that he saw this girl at least once a week, he still couldn't remember her name. Holly? Hannah? Something with an 'H'.</p><p>"East block in the front row!" Maybe it was Hattie?</p><p>"Fifth from the right!" Her friend chipped in, handing him her own ball. No, not Hattie....Helen?</p><p>"Nice, nice." He signed her ball as well before returning it. Now he was determined to remember. It couldn't be Haley, that definitely wasn't right. "Tell you what, when I make my first goal, I'll flash you the victory sign. That way you'll know it was for you." Harley? Maybe it didn't start with an 'H'. He could only hope that would get them gushing enough they wouldn't notice he didn't address them by name.</p><p>They squealed so loudly and at so high a pitch he was certain it would make any dog cower. "Ohmigod, thanks Derek! Did you hear that Sarah?"</p><p>"Ohmigod, I can't believe it Heather!" That was it! Heather! Well, not that it really mattered, but he didn't want to seem rude.</p><p>"Hey! Hey Derek, teach us how to Blitz!" He turned from girls, finding a few little boys clamoring for his attention.</p><p>"You guys know I have a game to get to, right?" That discouraged them for all of a second before they perked back up.</p><p>"Then, what about after?" He was half tempted to say no, he only had so much patience for people, but the look in their eyes was a little too familiar. He was about to agree when he noticed another little boy, standing slightly behind them in the shadows, hood pulled up over his face.</p><p>"You can't tonight." The boy muttered, looking up at him from under his hood. Derek was the only one who seemed to notice him, and wondered what the kid could possibly mean, but the boy just turned and walked away, seeming to vanish into the dark.</p><p>"Derek?" He looked back at the boys still standing in front of him, expectant grins beaming up at him. He shook his head.</p><p>"How about tomorrow?" He gave them a little smile. Whatever was up with that other kid, it wasn't his problem. The boys cheered and pumped their fists, before setting their balls down and facing him. In unison they spread their arms out to their sides before bringing them back in front of them, cupping an imaginary ball before bowing over it. He returned the gesture before turning back to the group at large. "Alright, it's game time. Better get goin." He walked off with a wave as they cheered for him. At the end of the pier he saw his driver waiting for him, glaring at being made to wait so long. He just smirked, saying nothing as he climbed in the back seat.</p><p>His driver had the radio playing softly, some commentator reminiscing about the night his uncle had gone missing. He scowled, sick of hearing people go on and on about how great Peter was. Similar radio shows had been playing for weeks leading up to the match. It was useless trying to avoid it. He just closed his eyes and tuned out, leaning back in his seat and just enjoying the movement of the car. </p>
<hr/><p>He'd only been about five minutes late for check in, but seeing as his coach was an ex, it wasn't a big deal. It worked out in his favor when there'd been an issue with the ticket processor that delayed fan entry into the stadium for a good half an hour, giving him more than enough time to stretch and gear up. His UNAGI brand blitz suit was skin tight and water repellant, covering everything except his hands, feet, and head. It was the stylized with gold colored sleeves with a navy stripe going down each one and another navy stripe going down each leg. He'd had the official emblem of the Zanarkand Abes, a wickedly hooked symbol with three arms, extending out from the center and curled inward to replicate a general "J" shape, patched on over his heart. He slipped the breathing unit into his mouth, chewing it to help mold it to the shape of his teeth. In theory no proper Blitzball player would need one to remain underwater for the entire game, but seeing as Blitz was a high contact sport nobody wanted to risk a drowning incident when the players had the wind knocked out of them. Hence the breathing units, a dual purpose mouth guard and water-to-air conversion device. </p><p>He'd left the locker room before the rest of the team, not getting along with the loud and rowdy men and women he played with. They were used to his reticent nature by now, and had long given up trying to pull him into their pre-game pow-wows. It wasn't a huge deal anyway, he was as much a team player as the rest of them. Instead he made his way to the diving ring, enjoying the peace and quiet afforded to him by the noise dampening magic fields. It was hard enough to focus on the game as it was, none of the players needed the added distraction of the screaming crowds. </p><p>The diving ring was an enormous levitating concave ring circling what would be the sphere pool. It was supported only by a set of stairs on each side and mag-lev technology. The ring was a half pipe filled with warm water to help players relax before the match and during halftime  if no team meeting was occuring. He soaked in the water, going over strategies and player stats in his head. If they were going against any other team from the Western Zanarkand League, he wouldn't be worried. But tonight they were facing the Duggles from E-South, a team registered to the East League. He was almost completely unfamiliar with their strategies and play styles. All he knew was through the grapevine: the Duggles liked to play dirty. Rumors abounded about bribing judges, illegal tackles, and weighted balls. Nothing was ever definitively proven, of course, the team would've been dissolved long ago if they were caught, but the stories persisted anyways. </p><p>He took a deep breath, sitting up higher in the ring and looking around the stadium. It was one of three stadiums in Zanarkand, and the newest of them. Everything was state of the art. Of course, set up had taken four years, having been retrofitted into one of the oldest buildings in the city: The Great Temple. A relic of the Old Faith from the time of the Summoners, the Great Temple had been abandoned for over a century when his uncle had bought it from the city and had it made into a stadium. There had been protests of course, many calling it sacrilege, but Peter had been quick to point out that leaving the building to rot and rust was worse, why not make sure that it was put to good use. So the Temple was emptied of all relics and religious artifacts and made into a stadium. </p><p>A flickering light caught his attention, and he turned to see the stadium begin to light up. He stood up on the edge of the diving ring, watching as with a huge flash, the illusion hiding the sphere pool was undone, revealing the giant sphere of water to the crowd. They were screaming and jumping with excitement, ready for the two best teams in the city to face off. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, taking his place on the little diving platform set up for players to safely enter the pool. </p><p>It was time.</p><p>He dove in, swimming to the holographic lines that were set up halfway up the sphere, taking his place in the left forward position. In his peripherals he could see his team taking their own spots in the center, right forward, left defence, right defence, and goalie positions. He could hear the commentators over the speakers set up inside the sphere, going over the usual pre-game spiel. The Duggles dove in a few seconds later, taking up position across from the abes, smirking to each other through the water. Everyone dipped down into a ready position, waiting for the ball to be shot up into play. With a muffled whoosh, the ball flew into the sphere, shooting up above the players. Both centers kicked off and up, trying to reach the ball first, and with a mad flurry of activity the game began. </p><p>It was a tough game, Derek couldn't lie. The Duggles were absolutely ruthless, using illegal holds and kicking the blitzball for passes instead of just for shots. At one point two of them ganged up on one of his teammates even though they didn't have the ball. So Derek did the most logical thing he could think of without breaking any rules.</p><p>He tackled them out of the sphere.</p><p>Or rather, he tackled them, and they just so happened to have ended up outside of the sphere as a result, splashing a bunch of fans who were unfortunate enough to be sitting there. Of course, they looked thrilled from what he could tell. He flashed them a confident smile, before swimming back into play. They were almost done with the first half of the game, trailing behind by one point when he caught the other offensive forward's attention, giving her a preset signal. She nodded, tackling one of the Duggles to get possession of the ball before throwing hard. Up, up, up it went, higher and higher until it flew right out of the pool. Derek swam after it, picking up as much speed as he could to shoot out of the sphere after it. He turned as he flipped upside down, ready to spike the ball back down into the pool and right into the goal. Only, as he began to fall he caught sight of something he would never forget.</p><p>A giant dark sphere of water floating out over the city, leaving a trail of destruction and fire in its wake. He saw a few holes open up in the sphere, revealing a grey hide beneath, gathering up energy before firing straight at the stadium. The impact was incredible, throwing him out of his arc and straight into one of the huge arches that used electromagnetic pulses to keep the sphere pool's shape. Screams echoed through the darkness as the lights flickered out. Below him the sphere pool lost its shape, draining out into the stadium, flooding the lower floors. Panic began to set in as the only cushion he might have had disappeared, his grip on the edge of the arch slowly slipping. With a scream, he fell, the floor rushing up to meet him, and he knew no more.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, if Derek seems a little out of character in the chapter, it was intentional. In Zanarkand he's a massive star and has a certain image he has to maintain. His true personality will start to shine through next chapter. He won't be quite so traumatized as he is in the show, but that's because he hasn't lost as much as he did in the show. I'm also going to try to make him more mature than Tidus was. Derek is 20 in this fic, so younger than he was in the show, but still older than the rest of the party.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. "We Called it Sin"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Derek should have just skipped the fucking game.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What the fuck hit me?" Everything hurt, all up and down Derek's body. There was water running over his legs and screams filling the air. He slowly pushed himself up, taking stock of the situation. "Shit." A huge chunk of rubble had landed less than a foot away to his left, water from a broken pipe spraying down onto it. To his right were the stairs down into the lobby where countless people were running about in abject terror, some of them bruised, some of them bleeding. He was just able to make out a few trampled bodies beneath their feet, blank eyes staring up into nothing. Derek wasn't able to hold in his vomit, tremors racking his frame. His blitz suit was torn, one sleeve missing as well as the lower half of the right leg. Staggering to his feet, Derek managed to stumble his way down the stairs, bare feet getting cut by the rubble and glass. "Really wish I had my clothes."</p>
<p>"That's what I'm here for, kiddo." Wheeling around, Derek was met with a familiar sight. A tall, thin man with short ashy blonde hair that was greying at the temples was leaning against the remains of a pillar. His left arm was hanging loose in his robe, cinched tight with a wide belt covered in little charms and beads with a large two-handed sword sitting in a sheath at his waist. He smirked at Derek, pushing off of the pillar and walking over with an easy confidence and an eerie calm that was utterly discordant with the general atmosphere in the stadium. "One of us has to be prepared, and we both know that's never been your forte."</p>
<p>"Fuck you too, Chris." Derek limped out of the way of the rushing crowds. "What the hell are you doing here? It's been six months, no word from you, and then you show up when this shit happens?" </p>
<p>"You should know after all these years that I only show up when there's something interesting going on. Now get dressed, we need to move." Chris tossed a rucksack which Derek recognized as his own as he caught it. He'd bought it a few years before he'd become famous when he used to go on hiking trips with his mom. Their little walking holidays up the foothills of Frozen Peak to the south of Zanarkand had been one of Derek's favorite things to do. His mother hadn't had a lot of passion for life after his father died and Peter disappeared, but exploring the ruins of the Old Faith with her son put some spring back in her step for a time. </p>
<p>It was just a shame it wasn't enough to keep her going. If she'd had the energy to keep living, Derek might have decided to become a historian instead of a blitzball player just to bring her some joy. Blitzball was his passion, sure enough, but so was the study of history and languages. It was a love he and his mother had shared. "Pushy bastard." He muttered in Chris's general direction, pulling open the rucksack and finding it packed with clothes, supplies, lightweight shoulder and leg armor, and some polished steel gauntlets. "You went through my stuff? What gives you the right?" Even as he griped he stripped off the remains of his UNAGI suit, ducking behind a piece of rubble. Thankfully the suit had kept him dry where it wasn't torn, so his clothes weren't at risk of getting soaked and sticking. He slipped on his underwear and socks before digging around for a fitted undershirt. He tucked his undershirt into his trousers, cinching them tight with a belt. He buckled some greaves on before slipping into some heavy duty boots, grabbing and putting on a tunic with a deep collar that could be laced up tighter as needed. He usually preferred not to seeing as the laces often caught in his chest hair. Instead he slipped a leather spaulder over his right shoulder before buckling and strapping the gauntlets into place, carefully affixing the finger guards before finally slipping his black hooded cloak on over it all, zipping it up all the way and letting it settle around his thighs.</p>
<p>"Quit your bitching. Would you rather have to deal with this half-naked?" With a chuckle, Chris started walking away, leaving Derek to follow him after loading his pack back up and hitching it up over his shoulders. It was a nightmare navigating the panicked crowds, pushing and shoving their way through until they finally made it out of the stadium and onto the main road.</p>
<p>The sight that awaited them was horrifying. Flames burned bright across the skyline, explosions periodically shaking the ground. In the distance the giant dark sphere of water was slowly carving its way across the city, leaving a wake of destruction, somehow <em>warping</em> the buildings closest to it into impossible shapes, as if they had been superheated and then immediately cooled in a dark parody of new-age sculptures. "What the fuck..." if there had been anything left in his stomach, Derek probably would have vomited again at the sheer horror of the sight. "What the hell is that thing?!" </p>
<p>"We called it Sin." was all the answer he got from Chris, not that he had been expecting one. The older man shoved his way past some hysterical women screaming in the street. Derek made to follow him when he noticed an odd shimmer in the air in his peripherals. He skidded to a stop and looked around in confusion.</p>
<p>Everything had fucking <em>stopped!!!</em> Completely stopped, utterly and totally stopped. People were frozen with both feet off the ground mid-run. Droplets of water were hanging in the air. Even the fires in the distance had stopped flickering. Derek was baffled. Even with everything that had happened, this was a bit too much. There was no visible explanation as to why time had stopped <em>fucking </em>flowing, gods above he was about to explode.</p>
<p>"It begins." Derek whipped around at the voice, and what should he find? The same little boy who had surprised him before the game, tattered clothes, hooded face, and bare footed. There he was, in the flesh, somehow moving even when nothing else could. </p>
<p>"It begins? <em>What </em>begins?! The damn apocalypse?!" He was just able to make out the boy frown beneath the shadow of his hood. </p>
<p>"Don't be mad, please. I didn't want it to happen this way, but..." He kicked at the ground, abashed. Derek felt bad for shouting at him, he was just a kid, he wasn't totally heartless. But all of this insanity needed answers, and this boy was his best chance. He let out a big sigh, shrugging his shoulders to relieve the stiffness that had set in.</p>
<p>"Look, just tell me what-" but his was a question not meant to be asked, apparently. With a whoosh and another ripple in the air, the boy disappeared and time picked back up, the sounds of screams deafening after the prior silence. "Shit!" Looking around he managed to spot Chris just as he was going over a hill in the road. With a curse Derek ran after him, swearing under his breath the entire way. "Dammit, Chris, slow down!"</p>
<p>"Better keep up, kiddo." Before Derek could reply a huge tentacled thing slammed into the side of the building bordering the skyway they were crossing. The largest tentacle started writhing, shaking loose inumerable scales that flew into their path. Even worse was when the scales unfolded, revealing giant bug-like creatures with four pointed legs and spines all over their bodies. "I hope you're ready to fight for your life." With that helpful little tidbit Chris pulled out a short sword with a hook at the end and held it out for Derek to take (where the hell had he been hiding that?). "A gift from Peter. He wanted you to have this."</p>
<p>"Peter?! Oh, how <em>sweet</em> of him. Couldn't be bothered to deliver it himself?" That brought a full belly laugh from Chris, startling the bugs. Gods above, the way they skittered around was disgusting. Derek yanked the sword out of Chris's hand, adjusting his grip until he held it fairly loosely in his right hand, slightly hunched with his feet wide apart, ready to move at a moment's notice.</p>
<p>"I'm afraid he's a little...occupied at the moment." He kept chuckling as if that was some kind of inside joke. "Regardless, you'd better use it if you want to make it out of here. You know how?" He asked as he drew his own massive great sword, shrugging off his robe as he dropped into a ready stance. </p>
<p>"I know the basics." Derek didn't need protecting. His uncle had shown him the basics of swordplay once when he was in a generous mood. It wasn't Derek's preferred method of fighting, but he could get by. "Think you can keep up with me, old man?" </p>
<p>"Watch your mouth, or I'll leave you behind." the bugs were clearly tired of waiting around as one of them hissed before lunging forward. Chris didn't miss a beat, bringing his sword down in a wide arc that cut the damn thing in two. The bug let out a pitiful squeal with what remained of its vocal chords before dispersing into dozens of little lights of all colors that gently floated up into the sky. It wasn't Derek's first time seeing Pyreflies, but they were a rare sight in Zanarkand. Although, with the sheer number of dead this attack had caused he wouldn't be surprised if they clouded the sky with their gentle light for days. "Don't worry about killing all of them, kiddo. Just cut down the ones that get in our way and run!" </p>
<p>"Got it." Derek nodded before springing forward and bringing his own sword down with his momentum. The bug squealed as it was cut down by his blade, the cloud of Pyreflies it released giving him enough cover to twist around its vanishing corpse to strike down another one in the way. He didn't bother paying attention to Chris. He knew the warrior could handle himself. These things might have the advantage of numbers, but they were clearly mindless drones, too dumb to even realize they should <em>avoid </em>the sharp things being swung at them. He didn't even bother cutting the last one, simply jumping over it, being careful to avoid the spikes on its wings. </p>
<p>They continued on in this fashion for a while, cutting down any scales that got in their way. They crossed through several skyways, at one point jumping down from one onto another. It took some time for Derek realize where they were headed given he was focused on not dying, but as they crossed through a ruined park into the center of town it hit him. </p>
<p>"Are you leading us towards that thing?" Chris just smirked at him over the collar of his robe.</p>
<p>"Took you long enough to figure it out."</p>
<p>"You motherfu-" With a huge bang that knocked Derek off his feet another of the tentacle monsters/ scale hives crashed down onto the road in front of them, shaking loose its charges into the air. A pit started forming in the ace's stomach as he realized they were surrounded. "You've got to be shitting me!"</p>
<p>"Focus on the big one, Derek. I'll keep the little bastards off your back!" Chris took no time at all to start batting the scales away with his sword, crushing as many of them as he cut to pieces. </p>
<p>"Of course you get the easy job!" He jumped over a scale that was in the way, using a chunk of rubble behind it as a kickstand to launch himself into the air. He flipped and twisted to build his momentum before kicking off of the wall to push himself right at the mass of writhing tentacles. He spun as he passed through them, whipping the blade around to cut as many of them as he could at once. Every one that he cut loose dispersed into Pyreflies as the beast somehow screamed despite the lack of mouth. He landed in a crouch behind it before running at it full tilt, launching into a set of cartwheels before pushing off and bringing down his sword with all of his weight, cutting a huge gash into its side. "Take that you ugly son of a bitch!"</p>
<p>"Nice moves. A little flashy, though." Chris had somehow managed to clear out nearly all of the scales while Derek was flipping around. "Let me show you how it's done." He brought the blade up in front of him, pressing his forehead against it for a moment as if in prayer. The length of the sword started glowing with a dark red aura as he jumped high into the air, turning the sword point-down  as he dropped, driving it almost halfway to the hilt into the ground. The energy built up within the sword was released into the ground, shooting out in a ring that caused explosions as it impacted with the scales before shooting up in a pillar of flame beneath the hive. When the flames cleared there was nothing left of the beast but a swarm of Pyreflies. "<em>That's </em>how it's done, kiddo. Take some notes."</p>
<p>Derek let out a breath of relief at the moment of peace they'd just earned. "Show off. Whatever happened to 'you focus on the big one'?"</p>
<p>"You took too long. Now catch your breath, we need to keep moving." Chris re-sheathed his sword before walking off. As relieved as he might have been, Derek was still bewildered by the elder's choice of direction.</p>
<p>"Towards the giant water monster destroying the city? What the hell are you playing at?" Chris looked back at him with a solemn expression. </p>
<p>"Do you trust me?" Derek was surprised. Did he trust Chris? He'd known him for nine years off and on. He'd been there to support Derek and his mother on occasion, but he rarely stayed long. He'd helped Derek finish school, tutoring him as best he could with math. Derek heard about Chris's exploits fighting off monsters that got too close to the city more often than he saw him. Much of the foreign man's past was still a mystery to him, which didn't exactly lend itself well to trust. And yet, despite everything, he couldn't help but trust the warrior. With a short nod he answered in the positive. "Then trust that there's a good reason we're heading towards Sin." </p>
<p>"If we die, I'm haunting your ass." That, again, drew a full belly laugh from Chris. Rolling his eyes, Derek hoisted his sword over his shoulders. They left the park, heading back into the wreckage of the burning city. As they reached downtown they were forced to travel through more back alleys to avoid the collapsed buildings and half melted skyscrapers. It was when they ducked into a wrecked restaurant that something occurred to Derek that he probably should have realized sooner.</p>
<p>"Chris..." The warrior looked up from where he was eating a chunk of bread. "How did you know to pack my bag tonight? I know it wasn't packed before, it was still hanging up from my last trip. Did you know this was going to happen?" He wouldn't meet Derek's eyes. That was answer enough. "You son of a BITCH!!!" The ace surged across the space between them, slugging Chris across the face. Anger unlike anything he had ever felt before consumed him, burning through his body like an inferno with no hope of being extinguished. "Do you even care how many people just died?! Zanarkand is done! We'll be lucky to even make it out of here alive! Where is everyone going to go?! Over the mountain?! Frozen Peak is dangerous enough when you're prepared and nobody's ever made it over the peak and lived to tell about it! What are we supposed to do, huh?" He didn't get an answer, but Chris did tense up, looking around warily. "ANSWER ME!!"</p>
<p>"Quiet!" Chris hissed to him, putting his hand over Derek's mouth. Even through his anger, Derek knew to trust the warrior’s instincts. It took him a few seconds, but he finally noticed what the older man had heard long before him: Thumping. Huge, thumping footsteps that everyone in Zanarkand had been raised to fear, almost as much as the body shaking growl that followed. Behind Chris's hand Derek couldn't help but whimper. A Behemoth. Massive, solitary lionesque monsters with huge horns pointed forward built for goring their prey, claws as long as a grown man's leg, and a whip like tail strong enough to cut a tree in half. They lived in the caves that ran through Frozen Peak, rarely venturing out into the open air. However when they did they had a nasty habit of wandering down to the outskirts of the city. </p>
<p>Moving slowly, Derek looked over the edge of the counter they had hidden behind. Just on the other side of the windows he could see the beast's legs. It was tall enough even on all fours that he could only see the bottom of its stomach. He ducked back down, trying not to breath too hard. The Behemoth's senses were legendary, and even through the outer walls he didn't want to risk alerting it to their presence. It passed their hiding place slowly, but when Chris looked out he swore under his breath.</p>
<p>"It's in our way. It'll take too long to go around...alright kiddo, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to go ahead-no don't argue! I'm going to go first and draw it away. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. After I leave, wait for five minutes. If it's clear, keep heading east towards the Domian Greatbridge. I will meet you there." Before Derek could object Chris was already gone. After a few seconds he could hear a great roar and several diminishing footsteps as the Behemoth was lead away. Derek kept crouched behind the counter, wide eyed and breathing hard as he waited. There were occasional screams and skitterings from the Sin scales hunting down groups of people, but he buried the instinct to go help them. Even if he tried, the screams suddenly cutting off was a dark enough reminder that there wasn't anything he could have done.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Five minutes felt like hours, but at last he moved out from behind the counter, jumping through the broken window they'd climbed in, making his way to the Greatbridge. Upon its construction, there had been some debate as to what it should be called. Many wanted to name it after Mayor Graeme, the woman who had commissioned the bridge in the first place, but she declined the honor, stating that people had been clamoring for it for years before she was elected. Others wanted to name it after his uncle since it had been completed the year he disappeared, but Derek had vehemently denied their requests, stating that if they were going to name anything for Peter, it should be Blitzball related. Of course, that was a flimsy excuse. Truly, he just didn't want any more reminders of his asshole uncle than necessary. There were several other suggestions of varying worth, but eventually it was decided it would be named for Yu Domian, the man who had brought together the various peoples living on the Zanar Peninsula to build a great city three thousand years before.</p>
<p>It would come to be named Zanarkand, which was the way the followers of the Old Faith would say "Keep of Zanar." The city had originally been a fortress meant to shield their people from monster threats and potential invaders from over the mountain. But as time had passed the mountain had risen and become more and more treacherous, preventing potential invaders from crossing. Their isolation had allowed for rapid expansion and advancement, turning the mostly barren peninsula to become a massive sprawling metropolis, several times larger than any other city in living memory. But despite their advancement, the peoples of Zanarkand remained humble, practicing the Old Faith with an unmatched devotion. </p>
<p>It wasn't until the attempted invasion from Belias one thousand years ago that their faith had faded. For one hundred years they had been besieged by their enemy, not from the mountain as they had once feared, but from the sea to the east. They'd been forced to destroy their own ports to prevent the Belians from landing, their only natural defences left being the tall rocky cliffs on the eastern coastline. Rather than being discouraged, the Belians had simply sailed around to the smoother western coast, sacking and burning as they went, starting with the cornerstone of the Old Faith, the Grand Temple. The Belians had eventually been routed, but not before the leaders of the church had been massacred. With the temple half destroyed and the infrastructure annihilated, the Old Faith had suffered a fatal blow. After two thousand years, the inhabitants of the Zanar Peninsula were left without direction.</p>
<p>But hope hadn't been totally extinguished. Many who had fought saw that as the Belians fled, one of the storms that often plagued the eastern sea churned the waves higher and higher before flipping the Belians ships, sinking them down beneath the surface. The soldiers decided to praise the sea and the sky for bringing them vengeance, spreading this belief to their families, who spread it to their friends and neighbors. Within two years of the end of the siege, the New Faith had been born, worshipping a new God, called Beagirn, Lord of Storms. The Grand Temple had been repaired for posterity's sake, but where the great docks had once stood a monument had been built, shaped like a hurricane cloud and made from the twisted metal of the Belian ships that had been salvaged, in honor of those who had died and for Beagirn. No new temples had been built for the New Faith. Nobody wanted to risk the loss of their new religion due to an easily accessible center. Instead small altars were installed in the homes of the believers and all along the coastline.</p>
<p>Derek passed one such altar as he left the alleyway next to the restaurant. He wasn't very faithful, but even he had an altar to Beagirn in his floating home. He might not be a true believer, but he was just suspicious enough to not want to risk pissing off a god. He crossed through several squares and alleyways, doing his best to avoid the main roads. He only ran into a few scattered Sin Scales along the way and they were swiftly cut down. But as he kept going he felt the pain of his fall more and more acutely. Every step was harder to take than the last and every battle left him wearier than he'd ever been before. The last battle he had before coming out onto the main thoroughfare the led to the Greatbridge would have cost him his left hand if he hadn't been wearing his gauntlets. </p>
<p>There were some signs of the Behemoth having been through the thoroughfare, with the gouges in the street and trucks ripped in half. However he still hadn't found Chris, only more scales and scale hives. Ironically enough, as he drew closer to Sin's floating water sphere there were fewer and fewer monsters. As Sin shot them out from his body they seemed more like to shoot outward than downward. It didn't stop the scales from wandering across the city into his path, but it did give him a sense of security. A false one as it turned out, because just as he climbed over a crashed car onto the base of the bridge he froze in terror as another growl sounded out behind him. </p>
<p>Not even fifty feet away the Behemoth came from around another corner, blood dripping from its maw. It had easily spotted him and had lowered itself into a crouch like a cat, ready to leap forward. He was terrified of moving, every instinct in his body telling him that as soon as he did, the chase would be on. He swallowed down the bile that had started crawling up his throat, gripping his sword tighter in preparation for the flight of his life. The Behemoth growled one more time as it kneaded at the ground.</p>
<p>"Oh fuck me." He turned and sprinted as fast as he could, the ground shaking as the beast started chasing him, roaring in delight at the thrill of the hunt. He had seconds before it would be upon him, and he needed every one of them. He looked around desperately for something he could use. Turned over cars, broken light posts, a gas tankard separated from the truck that hauled it, a broken section of the bridge leaving a dead drop to a burning building below. He chanced a look behind him only to try to run faster as he saw the beast had halved the distance between them. He had an idea, but he wasn't nearly strong enough to make it work, unless....</p>
<p>He tore off to the right, the Behemoth skidding to a stop and running into a car as it tried to change directions to follow him. He sprinted towards the gas tank, turning around and sliding his sword into a strap on his bag to hold it in place as the beast clambered back to its feet. They locked eyes. "Come and get me, asshole." He had no idea if it could understand him, but it roared again, shaking him in his boots before charging, lowering its head to gore him. He'd have one chance to get it right, and there was no guarantee he'd survive either way, but it was the only chance he had. He waited as it drew closer. Thirty feet. Twenty feet. Ten feet. Now! He threw his body to the side just as the Behemoth ran head first into the tankard, its horns piercing the side. Just as he had hoped, the weight of the Behemoth was enough to shove the tank right over the broken side of the bridge, dragging the beast with it as it failed to pull its horns out. It roared one last time as it slid over the edge, missing him with its claws, and he almost fell to the ground in relief. </p>
<p>There was only one thing wrong with his plan, which he had failed to take into account in his panic. The hole in the bridge that he had tricked the Behemoth into falling into was right above the burning building. And the tankard that had caught the beast was full of gas. With an explosion that left his ears ringing the tankard exploded, blowing out the support beam holding up the bridge. Bits of steel and stone went flying and the bridge started to drop out from beneath him. </p>
<p>"Oh FUCK ME!!!" He ran, praying to any god that would listen to save him. His best hope was to make it to the next section of the bridge that was still being held up by another support beam. He could see it growing higher and higher as the section he was on dropped. Another explosion rocked the ground as bits of the bridge started falling away. A small piece of debris rushed past his head, sinking into the edge of the standing section. He was almost to the end when the bridge fell even further. So he jumped, getting a boost from one last explosion, and barely managed to grab onto the piece of debris that had nearly speared his head. He chuckled with relief at the irony when he realized it was the broken tip of the Behemoth's horn, gripping it tighter as he started to pull himself up. "Thank fucking g-"</p>
<p>The bridge gave a sudden lurch upward, bits of rubble and debris floating up around him as gravity seemed to shift. He looked up and gasped in horror. Sin was directly above him, the water encasing it parting enough for him to see some kind of opening, glowing from within with a blinding light. Everything not fastened to the ground was being pulled inside Sin. He gripped the broken horn tighter, desperate not to be pulled in. A set of footsteps drew his attention, looking up to see Chris standing on the bridge in front of him, calm as could be, looking up into the light. "It's not too late to change your mind you know...you're sure?" Derek was equal parts confused and scared when he realized that Chris wasn't talking to him, but to the ginormous sphere above them.</p>
<p>"Chris..?" A part of him almost hoped the older warrior wouldn't hear him, but he did, looking down to him with a complex look on his face. He reached down and grabbed Derek by the collar hoisting him up and over his own head. Derek was clutching the horn so tightly that he brought it with him. "Chris, what the hell are you doing?!" He gripped at Chris's arm with his free hand, a part of him unwilling to let the horn go. </p>
<p>"Sorry kiddo. But it's time for your story to begin. I didn't want it to happen this way, but it's the only way for it to work. It's out of my hands. Don't worry too much when you get there, okay? I'll find you." And without giving Derek a chance to ask what the fuck <em>that </em>was about, he threw him up into the air, Sin pulling him up and up and up into the light as he screamed. He squeezed his eyes shut to try to block out the light, a deafening rushing sound the last thing he remembered hearing before the sensation of being pulled through a tube made everything go dark.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Derek's clothing style was heavily inspired by the look that Peter sported in the Red Riding Hood movie starring Amanda Seyfried, mixed with a pseudo-Victorian style. Yes it sounds very old-fashioned for the technologically advanced Zanarkand, but as I mentioned, he's a history buff, and he would've had these older style, sturdy clothes for when he went exploring with his mom. Not to mention Chris, being from Spira, would've made sure Derek had travel ready clothes for...emergencies. Despite what a lot of post-apocalypse style stories might have you believe, moderns clothes don't hold up very well for extended periods of time on the road unless they're unbelievably expensive and built for that purpose. Also, Tidus always looked ridiculously out of place in Spira in my opinion, and I was not subjecting Derek to that.<br/>Also, that bit about the history of Zanarkand and the Old and New Faiths came at me out of nowhere, it was completely unplanned. However, I'm pretty happy with it. I always thought that for a location with so much significance to the story, there was so little information on how it came to be and how they functioned day to day.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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